Nacho Pizza

If you've been following this blog for a while you will have noticed that we love pizza in this house.  I mean, what kid doesn't?  Since we can't just order a pizza, we tend to get creative when we decide to have pizza nights.  We've had stromboli, buffalo chicken pizza (I should probably share that one!), flat bread pizza, pizza bake, bagel pizzas, good old fashioned pizzas.  My oldest has been asking me to make a taco pizza for some time now.  We had a sort of taco pizza casserole a while back- with prepackaged dough and ground beef.  But since we no longer eat prepackaged foods, and I don't eat red meat, I had to come up with something new. So we hunted through the cabinets and fridge to see what we had on hand and this is what we came up with: A vegan Nacho Pizza.
This took about an hour to make, start to finish. And that was with help from my 9 year old, wrangling a toddler, and chasing down a puppy who stole a few toys and shoes while I was trying to make dinner. You know, just a typical evening with kids.  On my own it would have taken about 45 minutes.

Nacho Pizza:

•  Pizza Crust ( the recipe for my homemade crust )
• 1 tsp cooking oil
• 1 can vegan refried beans (I used Trader Joes)
• 1 can organic red kidney beans
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1/4 onion, diced finely
• 1/2 package taco seasoning ( I used Trader Joes)
• Dairy free/lactose free cheese of your choice 
• 2-3 green onions, diced
• handful cherry tomatoes, chopped.

1. Make your crust. I leave this totally up to you. This recipe can easily be made gluten free if you make a gluten free crust.  You could also use a store bought crust if you are crunched for time.  We have a tried and true recipe we use each time we make pizza- it takes about 10 minutes and is so much better than store bought.  Once your crust is ready press it out on a pizza pan and set it aside.

 2. Dice the onions, chop your peppers and tomatoes.  Preheat a skillet and add a teaspoon of cooking oil of your choice.  (I used GMO free canola oil).  Once the skillet is heated add the onions and peppers. Cook over medium heat until the onions start to become translucent.   Add the chopped tomatoes.  Drain and rinse the beans, and add them to the pan.  Let this mixture cook on low-medium heat until the tomatoes cook down.

3. Add a handful of taco seasoning to the veggie and bean mixture. The seasoning I use is spicy so I don't add a lot because of the kids.  You can add more or less depending on your preference.  Let simmer until the tomatoes have cooked down to make a sauce.

4. Spread the pizza crust with refried beans.  Top that with the bean and tomato mixture, and then top with cheese. Sprinkle with a little extra taco seasoning (about a teaspoon).

5. Bake according to directions for the crust-mine baked at 425F- until the cheese is melted and the crust is done. About 2 minute before it is done, pull it out, sprinkle with chopped grape tomatoes and diced green onion.  Put back in the oven to warm the topping. 

This tasted just like nachos on a pizza crust. The beans take the place of meat nicely- it is very filling. You could use black beans instead of kidney- it really is your preference.  Topped with a little homemade guacamole, or just left as is, it was a great, easy weeknight dinner.  Kid tested and approved. 

We also had Kale chips on the side.

*Thanks to my husband for grabbing the camera and taking pictures while I made this. Otherwise there wouldn't have been a post today.
*This recipe is Vegan and can be made Gluten Free.

A New Journey

For several years I have been wanting to go back to school, either furthering my degree in History, or pursuing another field of study. I have flip-flopped between a Masters in Education, getting my MBA, finding a Registered Dietitian program, and at one point I even toyed with the idea of becoming a NICU nurse.  I was actually just a few steps from signing up for a Masters of Public Health program when we found out we were pregnant with our third daughter. 
I always knew I wanted to go into a field that helped people, either teaching or health related services, but nothing felt RIGHT.  Then a couple months ago a dear friend of mine pointed me in the direction of a holistic nutrition and health coach program and offered me an amazing career opportunity that I would have been crazy to pass up.  After looking into the program it was clear that this is exactly what I have been looking for.  Twelve years ago this week I graduated from college, and now here I am on my first day of school over a decade later.
My days as a SAHM are numbered and to be honest this terrifies me.  Six months from now I will go back to work officially for the first time in 9 years.(The program is a year long, with a 2nd year continuing ed option, but we can start working after 6 months.)  Some work will be done from home, some from an office (I'll have my own office!!).  I will still do the online schooling with my girls but my schedule won't be as free as it has been for these past 9 years. I have been looking into how  professional parents work and still home school so I am confident it can be done.   I won't be a full time SAHM like I have been for the past nine years and 6 months.  The practice I am joining is very family oriented so I am not worried about my girls.  I know I will have a little less time with them, but I think that is going to be a good thing.  Sometimes I take for granted the time I have  so I don't use it wisely.  Now I am making more time to go outside and push my toddler on the swings, build train sets with them, kick the soccer ball around, blow bubbles, or just enjoy being with them.

Even though I am scared, apprehensive (slightly terrified), it is time do something for ME.  I am extraordinarily blessed by the fact that I don't have to work.  We have made one income work for many years so we are pretty good at it. My husband has always supported my decision to stay home with our girls and has not once made me feel as though it was a burden. I've watched him become extremely successful in his career, and while I am so proud of him, it has been hard to feel as though I am standing still.  So now it is my turn- and I can't wait.  All of the fear aside, I am beyond excited to start this new journey. 

What does this mean for Dairyfree Omnivore?
The break is officially over! Most exciting of all- the blog is getting a professional makeover! I will be posting many recipes and other health and food related posts.  I took a large portion of this past year as a break for many reasons- lack of time, chasing around a toddler, and prioritizing aspects of my life.  We also started volunteering as fosters for dogs and puppies rescued from high kill shelters-and that requires a lot of time. (More on that in a future post.) For now, it's time to get back into the habit of blogging.

I have already met some amazing people through my new school program, and many have blogs.  I can't wait to share their blogs with you too!

For now, let's get back into the swing of things.  Keep an eye out this week for a product review, a kitchen tour, and at least 2 new recipes!

Valentines Day

Ah Valentine's Day.    I have never really been a fan of Valentine's Day. To be honest this is my least favorite Hallmark Holiday.  There's no horrible underlying reason for this- I have never been dumped on Valentine's Day, or had some horrible experience. In fact most have been quite wonderful.  I've been given flowers, jewelry, balloons, stuffed animals, fancy dinners out.  So why do I dislike it so much?  Mostly because it is a holiday filled with all little materialistic things that annoy me.  For one thing, I am not a fan of the color pink.  And all things Valentine's Day are pink.  I am reminded of the quote from "Steel Magnolias"  "It looks like the sanctuary has been hosed down with Pepto Bismol!" That's how I feel about every Hallmark store and shopping mall around this time too.  Pink is definitely NOT my signature color. 

It's not just the millions of shades of pink that I find irritating.   When I became a Mom I learned first hand just how obnoxious all those little Valentine's cards are.  Yes, I have been the recipient of those cards, but as a Mom I just see them as one more pointless chore.  Staying up late to stick lollipops, fake Scooby-Doo tattoos, pencils, whatever, to flimsy, cutsie cards  is not my idea of spending my time (or money) wisely.   And don't get me started on the two most popular  Valentine's gifts: flowers and candy. First off Conversational hearts are just gross.  They are like the candy corn of Valentine's Day- totally pointless. The chocolates in those heart shaped boxes are just as bad. Even before my dairy free days I did not like boxed chocolate.   Plus if you want to get your sweetie some good chocolate it's all been marked up to some ridiculous price.  Same with roses. $100 for roses is ridiculous!  I much prefer wildflowers or a pretty mixed bouquet.

Even though I am cynical about the materialism of the day and what marketing has turned it into, I am still a hopeless romantic.  I have had the same Valentine for 14 years and every day I fall in love with him even more.  He is my rock, my best friend, my soul mate. Every year he does something special for me- I get flowers and a gift, and he takes me out to a very nice dinner.  This year it's a bit different. We gave ourselves a joint gift- a bedroom makeover complete with new bed, mattress, décor, and desk for me. Since he worked so hard on that home improvement project, this year I planned our date instead of letting him do it.  Instead of a super fancy dinner out like we had talked about, I decided we should do something fun together, so this weekend I am taking him to a local Microbrewery for a tour and tasting, and then to dinner.

Our kids are definitely not left out.  They are our 3 little Valentines and we make sure they each get a little gift and we have a special family dinner (tonight it's fillet Mignon and shrimp) This year our oldest made us all gifts on her own- she wrote each of us a poem telling us why she loved us.  THAT is what today is about-not pink hearts, candy, flowers, and fancy gifts. It's about letting those you love know how much.  As my husband says, everyday is Valentine's Day for us. 

 

Mango Sriracha Chicken

Back this summer my favorite blogger Beth at It's Good to be the Cook  posted an amazing recipe for a dish she called Mango Sriracha Chicken. Since everything she makes is amazing, I knew I had to try it.   It has since become a family favorite of ours. A little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, and very easy. We have made it several times since this summer and each time it's a huge hit.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Mango Butter (found at Trader Joes)
• 2 Tablespoons Sriracha
• 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (although I sometimes omit this)
• 1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
• Salt and Pepper
• 4 Chicken Breasts or 6 Bone-in Chicken Thighs

Directions:
1. Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce.

2. Pour about half of it over the chicken and let sit for a few minutes- until it becomes room temperature. Use the other half of the sauce as a dip for the chicken.

3. Cook in a skillet, either cast iron or non-stick, over medium heat until done all the way through.

I deviated a bit from the recipe this time based on what I had on hand.  I used bone in thighs and baked them at 375F for about an hour first.  When they were done but not browned, I removed them from the oven and finished them on my stove top grill pan.  I brushed each thigh on both sides with the sauce and let them cook on medium  heat until they were browned.  They weren't quite as spicy this way since they weren't marinated in the sauce but that worked out for the kids. Plus I had perfectly baked chicken on the inside with a spicy crispy outside. (Crispy but not burnt- that's the key.)

Doesn't it look like there is mac and cheese on my plate? That's because there is!  That recipe is for another post:-)
We also served these with the edamame and corn frozen veggie mix from Trader Joes.  It was a total kid win-even the picky toddler.

Thanks Beth for yet another great recipe!